Air accident investigators have said heavy rainfall has not helped their efforts to discover the cause of the aircraft crash in County Kildare on Thursday night.

Two men, one aged 70 and the other in his 50s, were killed when their light aircraft crashed in Belan near Athy.

The wreckage was located by the Rescue 116 helicopter at around 4.30am yesterday morning, three hours after the alarm was raised.

The remains of the wreckage has now been removed to the AAIU facility in Gormanston, County Meath.

Speaking from the scene, lead investigator Howard Hughes, said there was no distress signal from the plane, but a radio transponder code led rescuers to the crash-site.

Mr Hughes said: “I immediately contacted Dublin Air Traffic Control where they commenced a playback of the ATC tapes for a timeframe when it was assumed the aircraft might have been airborne.

“The trace only lasted for about one minute, it is what is known as a 7,000 conspicuity transponder squawk that the pilot had put on and it showed the position of the aircraft briefly in this area.

Superintendent Martin Walker (right) along with Howard Hughes (centre) and John Owens, of the Air Accident Investigation Unit, speak to the media near the scene in Belan, Moone, in Co. Kildare. Pic: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
Superintendent Martin Walker (right) along with Howard Hughes (centre) and John Owens, of the Air Accident Investigation Unit, speak to the media near the scene in Belan, Moone, in Co. Kildare. Pic: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

“Indications are there was no communication from the aircraft, nor would the pilot have been obliged to have done so.

“Kilrush airfield is situated in airspace where they do not have to make radio contact with any of the major air traffic control units around Ireland – so our understanding at this stage is there was no communication.”